There are many models for doing fine work. One approach is:
* To focus on the activities you find stimulating.
* To set specific goals.
* To stretch yourself to achieve success.
Let’s explore how you can follow these steps in your own way.
Stimulation
Stimulation is crucial. It enables us to feel alive and alert. This life force is often embodied in romantic attraction. But it also provides the flame for doing satisfying work.
What are the activities that light your fire? You may find it stimulating, for example:
* To encourage other people.
* To perform music.
* To create beautiful things.
* To discover how things work.
* To solve certain kinds of problems.
* To lead pioneering teams.
* Or whatever.
Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Start by describing the things that you find stimulating. Try completing the following sentence.
Specific Goals
Let’s assume that you have described the things you find stimulating. How can you do more of these in the future? What would be the benefits – both for you and for other people?
“I chose to pursue my wildlife photography and create my own gallery on the web,” said one person. “This was something I had thought about for years, but suddenly I decided to make it happen.
“The first project was fairly typical. I produced calendars that reflected each of the seasons and sold these for charity. Since then I have specialised in winter photography.
“Taking these steps has had several side-effects. Looking at my work, for example, I have returned to doing in-depth laboratory research on specific illnesses. This is more satisfying than the management route I was taking earlier.
“I now go to work with a spring in my step, rather than dreading being stuck in meetings. This has meant returning to my first love – doing hands-on work that actually feels like helping other people.”
Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, choose one of the stimulating activities that you would like to pursue in the future. Second, translate this into a specific goal you would like to achieve. Third, describe the benefits of achieving this goal.
Success
Let’s assume that you have set a specific goal. How can you do your best to achieve success? You may find it useful to pursue some of the following principles.
Keep focusing on the stimulating goal.
This will provide encouragement when you need to do the grunt work as well as the great work.
Keep following your successful style of working.
This means knowing the way you work best and following this preferred way of working.
Keep managing your energy properly to perform superb work.
This means, for example, making good use of your prime times – the times of the day when you have most energy. It also means building in time for rest and recovery.
Keep focusing on the principles as well as the prize.
This calls for being positively engaged and pursuing the principles for doing great work. It also means getting the right balance between focusing on these guidelines and, as mentioned earlier, the goal.
Keep pursuing your successful pattern for finishing until you reach the goal.
This calls for recalling the previous times you have finished things successfully. What did you do right then? How can you follow these principles again? You can then keep working to reach the goal.
There are many models for doing fine work. One approach is to pursue the things you find stimulating, set specific goals and achieve your picture of success. Try completing the following sentence.
Posted on Friday, January 18th, 2013 at 4:20 am in Companion, The Strengths Blog | RSS feed
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